Controlling produce ripening during transit

Abstract

Described herein are systems and methods for ripening produce in a container during transit. The method includes maintaining, by a controller, an initial refrigerated climate in the container, detecting a first climate modification event, controlling automated vents in the container to an open state that exposes an interior of the container to an external environment until a temperature within the container increases to a predetermined temperature value, controlling, when the temperature reaches the predetermined temperature value, a ripening agent generator to inject a ripening agent into the container, continuously monitoring and controlling the ripening agent generator to maintain a target concentration of the ripening agent, detecting a second climate modification event, controlling the ripening agent generator to stop injecting the ripening agent, controlling a refrigeration unit to lower the container temperature to the initial refrigerated climate, and maintaining the initial refrigerated climate until arrival at a destination location.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for ripening produce in a container during transit, the method comprising:
 maintaining, by a controller, an initial refrigerated climate in the container, wherein the container is in transit to a destination location and contains the produce;   detecting, by the controller, a first climate modification event during transit of the container to the destination location;   controlling, by the controller and in response to detecting the first climate modification event, one or more automated vents in the container to an open state that exposes an interior of the container to an external environment, wherein the automated vents are maintained in the open state until a temperature within the container increases from an initial refrigerated climate to at least a predetermined temperature value;   controlling, by the controller and in response to the temperature in the container reaching the predetermined temperature value, a ripening agent generator to inject a ripening agent into the container;   continuously monitoring and controlling, by the controller, the ripening agent generator to maintain a target concentration of the ripening agent in the container;   detecting, by the controller, a second climate modification event;   controlling, by the controller and in response to detecting the second climate modification event, the ripening agent generator to stop injecting the ripening agent into the container;   controlling, by the controller, a refrigeration unit to activate to lower the temperature in the container to the initial refrigerated climate; and   maintaining, by the controller, the initial refrigerated climate until arrival at a destination location of the container.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ripening agent is ethylene gas. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting (i) the first climate modification event and (ii) the second climate modification event comprises receiving, by the controller and from a plurality of sensors positioned throughout the container, indications of at least one of temperature, humidity, CO 2 , O 2 , ripening agent, and ripeness level in the container. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the initial refrigerated climate includes a temperature range of 0° Celsius to 5° Celsius. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined temperature value includes a temperature range of 15° Celsius to 22° Celsius. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ripening agent is injected into the container at a rate between 1 ppm and 200 ppm. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the controller and from the plurality sensors, indications of CO 2  and O 2  levels in the container;   determining, by the controller and based on the CO 2  and O 2  levels, a ratio of CO 2  to O 2  in the container; and   controlling, by the controller and based on the ratio of CO 2  to O 2  exceeding a threshold ratio range, one or more of the vents to open to adjust levels of one or more of the CO 2  and the O 2  in the container.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting a first climate modification event comprises:
 receiving, by the controller, information about a current location of the container, a travel route, and the destination location;   identifying, by the controller and based on the information, travel conditions along the travel route from the current location of the container to the destination location;   predicting an estimated remaining time in transit from the current location of the container to the destination location; and   detecting, by the controller, the first climate modification event based on the estimated remaining time in transit being within a threshold arrival range.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein (i) the identified travel conditions include weather conditions and traffic along the travel route and (ii) the information about the current location of the container includes a GPS location of the container. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein controlling a ripening agent generator to inject a ripening agent into the container comprises:
 receiving, by the controller and from one or more sensors in the container, indications of a ripeness level of the product;   receiving, by the controller, information about the product in the container, wherein the information includes a place of origin, a period of time for ripening, and a type of the product;   determining, by the controller, that the ripeness level of the product corresponds to the received information about the product; and   controlling, by the controller and based on determining that the ripeness level of the product corresponds to the received information about the product, the ripening agent generator to stop injecting the ripening agent into the container.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising coating the produce before transit in the container in a shelf-life extension coating solution. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the threshold ratio range is 6% CO 2  to 4% O 2 . 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting a first climate modification event comprises determining, by the controller, that a distance between a current location of the container and the destination location is within a threshold distance range. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the threshold arrival range is three days from arrival to the destination location. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein continuously monitoring a concentration of the ripening agent in the container comprises controlling, by the controller and based on the concentration of the ripening agent exceeding a threshold ripening range, one or more of the vents to open to release a predetermined amount of the ripening agent from the container. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising controlling, by the controller and based on the concentration of the ripening agent being less than the threshold ripening range, the ripening agent generator to inject an additional predetermined quantity of the ripening agent into the container. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein detecting a second climate modification event comprises determining, by the controller, that the concentration of the ripening agent is within the threshold ripening range. 
     
     
         18 . A system for ripening a product in a container during transit, the system comprising:
 a container for storing the product in transit, the container having:
 a plurality of sensors; 
 a plurality of vents; and 
 a first controller configured to receive information from the sensors and control the plurality of vents; and 
   a self-contained ripening agent unit for ripening the product in the container during transit, the unit having:
 at least one ripening agent sensor; 
 a ripening agent generator; and 
 a second controller configured to receive information from the at least one ripening agent sensor and control the ripening agent generator, wherein the second controller is in communication with the first controller, wherein the second controller is configured to: 
 maintain an initial refrigerated climate in the container, wherein the container is in transit to a destination location and contains the product; 
 detect a first climate modification event during transit of the container to the destination location; 
 control, in response to detecting the first climate modification event, one or more automated vents in the container to an open state that exposes an interior of the container to an external environment, wherein the automated vents are maintained in the open state until a temperature within the container increases from an initial refrigerated climate to at least a predetermined temperature value; 
 control, in response to the temperature in the container reaching the predetermined temperature value, a ripening agent generator to inject a ripening agent into the container; 
 continuously monitor and control the ripening agent generator to maintain a target concentration of the ripening agent in the container; 
 detect a second climate modification event; 
 control, in response to detecting the second climate modification event, the ripening agent generator to stop injecting the ripening agent into the container; 
 control a refrigeration unit to activate to lower the temperature in the container to the initial refrigerated climate; and 
 maintain the initial refrigerated climate until arrival at a destination location of the container. 
   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the ripening agent is ethylene gas. 
     
     
         20 . A system for ripening a product in a container during transit, the system comprising:
 a container for storing the product in transit, the container having:
 a plurality of sensors; 
 a plurality of vents; 
 a ripening agent generator; and 
 a controller configured to receive information from the plurality of sensors and control the plurality of vents and the ripening agent generator, wherein the controller is configured to: 
 maintain an initial refrigerated climate in the container, wherein the container is in transit to a destination location and contains the product; 
 detect a first climate modification event during transit of the container to the destination location; 
 control, in response to detecting the first climate modification event, one or more automated vents in the container to an open state that exposes an interior of the container to an external environment, wherein the automated vents are maintained in the open state until a temperature within the container increases from an initial refrigerated climate to at least a predetermined temperature value; 
 control, in response to the temperature in the container reaching the predetermined temperature value, a ripening agent generator to inject a ripening agent into the container; 
 continuously monitor and control the ripening agent generator to maintain a target concentration of the ripening agent in the container; 
 detect a second climate modification event; 
 control, in response to detecting the second climate modification event, the ripening agent generator to stop injecting the ripening agent into the container; 
 control a refrigeration unit to activate to lower the temperature in the container to the initial refrigerated climate; and 
 maintain the initial refrigerated climate until arrival at a destination location of the container.